TAMPA, Fla., March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthPlan Services (HPS), the nation's leading technology and administrative services provider for the insurance and managed care markets, recently announced that its contract with the American Veterinary Medical Association Group Health & Life Insurance Trust (AVMA GHLIT) has been extended.

Under the extended agreement, HPS will provide administrative services and marketing, sales and distribution support to more than 33,000 AVMA GHLIT participants. This includes underwriting, billing and customer service, as well as retention and renewal services.

"Our long-term partnership with HealthPlan Services has been characterized by a high level of trust, flexibility, integration and innovation," said Libby Wallace, CEO, AVMA GHLIT Administrative Services, LLC. "From open-door access to top executives, to a strong account management team and responsive customer service, HPS has delivered high value and established a reputation of getting things done in ways that let us stay ahead of the needs of our plan participants. We expect the same will be true as our partnership continues."

Adds Jeff Bak, president and CEO, HPS: "The AVMA GHLIT is an organization dedicated to protecting the financial and health needs of the veterinarians it serves. We are pleased that they have decided to extend their partnership with HPS to further this mission. We are confident that our industry expertise, proven best practices and proprietary technologies will deliver the end-to-end integration and personalized service associations like the AVMA GHLIT need to deliver upon members' expectations."

HPS has been administering AVMA GHLIT plans since 2003. During this tenure, its focus on continually improving processes and leveraging technology has enabled the AVMA GHLIT to achieve significant growth in and enhancements of its product offerings, member services, marketing and agent distribution.

About AVMA GHLIT

The American Veterinary Medical Association Group Health & Life Insurance Trust (AVMA GHLIT) provides flexible insurance coverage designed to meet the unique needs of veterinarians and veterinary students. Designed by veterinarians, for veterinarians, plans include medical, hospital indemnity, short and long term disability, life/AD&D, professional overhead expense, basic protection and medical, life and disability for students. For more information about the AVMA GHLIT, visit www.avmaghlit.org.

About HealthPlan Services

HealthPlan Services (HPS) is the largest independent provider of service and technology solutions to the insurance and managed care industry. The company is an affiliate of Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic private equity firm focused exclusively on healthcare. Since 1970, HPS has offered customized administration and distribution services to insurers of individual, small group, voluntary and association plans, as well as providing valuable solutions to thousands of brokers and agents that sell into this market. HPS' proprietary, scalable technology provides innovative consumer-facing solutions that are turnkey self-service tools for our insurance carriers and distribution partners. HPS offers an ever-expanding array of services to a diverse and growing client base, and administers products that include medical (PPO, HMO, indemnity, consumer-driven), dental, vision, life, disability, cancer, critical illness, accident, long term care, limited medical, as well as various other ancillary insurance. HPS is committed to providing extraordinary service to its customers. For more information about HPS, visit www.healthplan.com.